Stuart O'Brien (1833 – 25 August 1883) was an Irish-born actor and manager in Australia.

History

Francis Stuart O'Brien was born in

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

, Ireland, and was brought to England as a child. In 1851 he left for America, and began acting professionally with J. W. Wallack's company, briefly adopting the stage name Frank Stuart. He arrived in

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

in 1854, and did not appear on stage for a year or so, then in 1856 he joined

H. T. Craven Henry Thornton Craven (born Henry Thornton; 26 February 1818 – 13 April 1905) was an English actor and dramatist. Early life and career Craven was born in London in 1818, son of Robert Thornton, a schoolmaster in Holborn. Starting life as a publ ...

and W. H. Stephens at the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney in a company that included

G. V. Brooke Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (25 April 1818 – 11 January 1866), commonly referred to as G. V. Brooke, was an Irish stage actor who enjoyed success in Ireland, England, and Australia. Early life Brooke was born in Dublin, Ireland, the eldest son o ...

Robert Heir Robert James Heir (10 February 1832 – 27 February 1868) was an actor in Australia, best known as the first husband of the great actress Fanny Cathcart. History Heir arrived in Melbourne by the George Marshall, and made his first appearance on ...

(died 27 February 1868) and Mrs. Robert Heir (aka

Fanny Cathcart Mary Fanny Cathcart (3 August 1833 – 3 January 1880), was an Australian stage actress, active between 1853 and 1878. Between 1855 and 1865, she was regarded as the most famed female theatre star in Australia. Cathcart was born in England on 3 ...

), James Milne, Francis Belfield (died 13 April 1883), Mrs. Crosby (Mrs. Eigenshank), Harry Edwards, E. Wright,

W. H. Walker W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * W. (film), ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 199 ...

, R. P. Whitworth, Mrs. Winterbottom, Miss Amy Howard and Mrs H. T. Craven. He founded his own troupe, touring the New South Wales goldfields and New Zealand then returned to Victoria, where he was a popular favorite. He later became joint lessee of the

Princess Theatre, Melbourne The Princess Theatre, originally Princess's Theatre, is a 1452-seat theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1854 and rebuilt in 1886 to a design by noted Melbourne architect William Pitt, it is the oldest surviving entertain ...

with the scenic artist Harry Holmes, a financial failure for them both. He was noted for playing "Job Armroyd" in

Watts Phillips Watts Phillips (16 November 1825 – 2 December 1874) was an English illustrator, novelist and playwright, known for his play ''The Dead Heart'', which served as a model for Charles Dickens' ''A Tale of Two Cities''. In a memoir, his sister Emm ...

' ''

Lost in London ''Lost in London'' (also known as ''Lost in London LIVE'') is a 2017 American independent biographical comedy-drama film written, starring, and directed by Woody Harrelson in his directorial debut. The film also stars Owen Wilson and Willie Nel ...

'' and "Deacon Skinner" in ''

Struck Oil ''Struck Oil'' is an 1874 play set during the American Civil War and a 1919 Australian silent film, now considered lost. The play, which introduced Maggie Moore to Australian theatre-goers, was popular with the Australian public and the basis o ...

'' . One of his last parts was as "Donald McAlister" opposite Jennie Lee in '' The Grasshopper'' in 1882. He was for many years a warden of the Australasian Dramatic and Musical Association.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:O'Brien, Stuart 1833 births 1883 deaths 19th-century Australian male actors